“Appearances can be deceiving” or so the saying goes. Yet according to students, teachers and alumni of one institution, the appearance of a new logo has a fairly obvious subtext.

Drake University recently implemented a new marketing campaign that aims to boost enrollment. It’s called the  ”D+ Advantage Campaign”. Below is the signature logo and tagline:

In a recent story from The Upshot, the creators discussed the logic behind the new campaign. Below is an excerpt from the article:

[The D+ Advantage Campaign] was designed to catch the attention of high school students who are bombarded with college and university materials to the point that they are often in information overload and unable to differentiate among the many institutions that have contacted them.

Yet, there is speculation that the new logo encourages mediocrity and under achievement. After all, to any person who has gone through the educational system, it’s hard to ignore the negative stigma that often accompanies a ”D plus.” According to Tim Nudd,  contributor for Ad Week:

… the campaign ‘seems to position Drake as a school whose standards barely exceed total failure.’

The question becomes whether or not the University’s campaign is even beneficial. If potential students are viewing the new logo in the same manner as those who oppose it, there’s certainly a chance it won’t help with admissions.  For now, only time will tell whether enrollment applications positively increase or begin to stall.

Regardless, this controversy highlights the power of perspective. It’s simply human nature to see and react differently to the same stimulus. No matter how clever a venture appears to be, someone else is likely to have a different view. We must seek feedback from other stakeholders to capture alternate perspectives. By doing so, potential flaws will be found, improvements will be made and new ideas will be generated.  These are just a few of the reasons why Slaughter Development believes perspective is extraordinary.

Contact us today to learn more about changing your viewpoint through methodology engineering. We can help you and your team achieve fantastic results. We guarantee you’ll reap the benefits worthy of an “A plus.”

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